Family Studies Department

Welcome to the Family Studies Department!  

At Markham District High School, our Family Studies courses, which are within the Social Sciences & Humanities program, are designed with a clear mission -- to explore the intricate relationships between individuals and their world.

Our goal is to empower students with practical life skills while fostering critical and creative thinking. We believe that understanding the factors that influence our lives is essential for becoming informed and engaged citizens.

The Family Studies Department is dedicated to nurturing each student’s identity and cultural heritage as we provide valuable insights into human development. We aim to cultivate lifelong learners who are not only prepared for daily challenges but also equipped for various apprenticeships and college/university programs.

​Family Studies is much more than cooking and sewing - it is about preparing for a successful future! Taking Family Studies courses will undoubtedly help students to develop skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

brown background with cutouts of mulit-coloured different family silhouettes

Courses

Learn more about the courses offered at our school.
Courses

Staff Members

  • K. De Irish Baugh (Department Head)

  • L. Hennemann 

  • L. Bennett

 

Future Careers

In Family Studies, students can explore a variety of streams, each offering unique career pathways. Whether you are interested in Food and Nutrition, Fashion, General Family Studies or Raising and Caring for Children, there are a range of apprenticeships, college programs, and university degrees to help you pursue your passions. 

Use the dropdown menus below to discover some possible career pathways.

Secondary SchoolApprenticeship/CollegeUniversity
  • Food & Nutrition, Grade 9 or 10 (HFN20)
  • Food & Culture, Grade 11 (HFC3M)
  • Nutrition & Health, Grade 12 (HFA4U/fC)
  • culinary/chef
  • bakery/pastry chef
  • baker/cake decorator
  • retail meat cutter
  • hospitality management
  • food media marketing nad promotion
  • food and nutrition management
  • agricultural service contractors
  • greenhouse technician/worker
  • horticultural technician
  • process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
  • dietician
  • nutritionist
  • food scientist
  • food and nutrition
  • inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
  • supervisors, food and beverage processing
  • epidemiologist (foodborne outbreak investigator)
  • mechanical engineering (food processing, controls, automation and robotics)
  • agricultural chemist

Secondary SchoolApprenticeshipCollegeUniversity
  • Understanding Fashion, Grade 11 (HNC3C)
  • The World of Fashion, Grade 12 (HNB4M)
  • tailoring/alterations
  • fashion design
  • fashion arts/fashion design
  • fashion marketing and merchandising
  • fashion/video makeup design
  • styling and image consulting
  • fashion communication
  • fashion design
  • fashion merchandising/marketing

Secondary SchoolApprenticeship/CollegeUniversity
  • Exploring Family Studies, Grade 9 (HIF10)
  • Families in Canada, Grade 12 (HHS4U/4C)
  • Human Development throughout the Lifespan, Grade 12 (HHG4M)
  • human resources
  • social and community worker
  • funeral directors and embalmers
  • home economics/human ecology
  • family and consumer science
  • family, marriage and other related counselors
  • behavioural therapist
  • psychology
  • anthropology
  • sociology
  • social work
  • family law
  • clinical behavioural science

Secondary SchoolApprenticeship/CollegeUniversity
  • Working with Infants and Young Children, Grade 11 (HPW3C)
  • early childhood educator
  • Indigenous early childhood educator
  • educational assistant
  • childcare centre director
  • child and youth worker
  • development support worker
  • occupational therapy
  • speech language pathology
  • sports and recreation
  • elementary/secondary school teacher
  • child psychologist
  • social worker